British Supermarket Chain Tesco Bans Sugary Drinks To Fight Childhood Obesity

Tesco, the British grocery giant, has announced plans to stop the sale of sugary drinks aimed at children, including Capri Sun and Ribena. These items will be replaced by beverages that do not contain any added sugar.

"This is part of our 10-point plan against obesity and we have decided that from September we will only sell no-added-sugar drinks in the kids' juice category," beverage manager David Beardmore told The Grocer magazine. "Most of the suppliers are supportive of it and understand what we are doing."

One recent study found that one in four British children under the age of 5 is considered overweight or obese. In Ireland, nearly a third of children qualify.

Tesco's decision reflects a growing public awareness that children's health is directly affected by the way that food is marketed and made available to them.

"We want to help our customers make healthier choices and that's why we have pledged to continue to cut sugar from the food and drink on our shelves," a Tesco representative told The Independent.